Sliding car door



June 2, 1942. w. A.'VB EAUCHAMP SLIDING CAR DOOR Filed Jan. 4, 1940 r IIIIIIIII III/A 20 7 flllll/W/l/l/l/ //VVENTOE w/z FEt'D a Bt'QI/CHQMP Patented June 2, 1942 "U N H TE D STATE PATENT ENC-E SLIDING OAR DOOR Application January 4, 1940, Serial No. 312,405

5 Claims.

This invention relates to sliding car doors and is directed to means cooperating with the doors for excluding dust, cinders and the like.

By the nature of their structure and the severe service conditions they are called upon to meet, sliding doors for railway house cars are inadequate and their association with the cars in suflicient to satisfactorily exclude any but the largest particles from ingress into the cars. Attempts have been made from time to time to Weatherproof these doors and while some im provement was effected, the cost involved, necessary modification of the car side, and other factors combined to prevent a successful solution of the involved problem.

This invention accordingly has for its main object the successful Weatherproofing of Sliding doors for railway house cars by means simple in structure, inexpensive, easily applied by unskilled labor and avoiding all modification of or addition to the car or door.

A further object is the provision of an inexpensive and easily fabricated Weatherstrip embodying a plurality of plies of flexible, non-metallic material, extending progressively varying distances laid face to face and secured together so that the several plies are capable of being fanned out to form a plurality of pockets which intercept and exclude dust, cinders and the like.

A further object is to provide a Weatherstrip comprising a plurality of symmetrically disposed plies of flexible non-metallic material extending progressively varying distances.

A further object is to provide a Weatherstrip comprising a plurality of symmetrically disposed plies of flexible non-metallic material of progressively varying width and carrying means for attaching the Weatherstrip in position.

A furtherobject is to provide a Weatherstrip for sliding doors embodying a plurality of plies of flexible nonmetallic material of progressively varying widths secured face to face, the plies being adapted for engagement by the door in closing movement and fanned out to form a plurality of adjacent pockets.

A'further object is to provide a Weatherstrip comprising a plurality of plies of flexible material so proportioned and r lated that although attaching means is disposed only on one side of the Weatherstripping, said Weatherstripping may 7 be applied to all surfaces irrespective of their relative arrangement and function to secure its intended purpose.

With these and other objects which will become clear as the description proceeds, this in vention comprises the novel structure and combination of parts hereinafter more particularly pointed out and claimed.

In the drawing forming part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section illustrating the invention in its relationship to the upper and lower margins of a sliding car door.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section illustrating the invention associated with the front and rear vertical margins of a sliding car door,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the Weatherstrip embodying the invention.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the Weatherstrip illustrated in Fig. 3. I

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail more clearly illustrating the invention.

Referring to the drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, numeral Hi designates a sliding 'car door. The particular structure of the door insofar as the invention is concerned is immaterial. The door it] chosen for purposes of illustration, embodies a metallic panel ll formed with horizontal corrugations l2 and verticalcorrugations-l3.

Backing plates l4 and [5 bridge the upper and lower horizontal corrugations and are secured to the door panel on opposite sides of these corrugations. Backing plates I6 and I! bridge the vertical corrugations i3 being secured to the panel on opposite sides of these corrugations.

The upper margin of the door is reinforced by means of an angle member l8 disposed between the depending leg I9 of side plate 29 and a retaining bar 21. The horizontal leg 22' of the angle member 98 is directed inwardly so as to overlap a substantially J-shaped header 23 secured as by means of riveting to the depending leg ii) of the side plate.

The lower margin of the door is reinforced by means of an angle member 24, the leg 25 of which extends outwardly and constitutes means for frictionally supporting the door upon a track The front vertical margin of the door is reinforced by means of a substantially channel shaped member 21 which cooperates with a front stop 28 secured to the front door post 29 to exclude cinders and the like from the car. The rear vertical margin of the door is reinforced by means of a buffer angle 33 and a sealing strip 3| which cooperates with a spark strip 32 to exclude cinders and the like from the car. The spark strip 32 is fastened to an angle member ,33 carried by the rear door post 34.

The construction of the door hereinabove described and its relationship to the car side is well-known. This construction and relationship, however, are incapable of effectively exeluding dust and other small particles from the car.

To the end that small as well as large particles may effectively .be excluded from the car, the Weatherstrip 35 is employed. With reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing, it will be seen that the Weatherstrip 35 embodies a plurality of plies of material 33 to 41, inclusive, arranged on one side of the ply of material 42. The preferred form of the Weatherstrip 35 embodies also similar plies of material 43 to 48, inclusive, arranged on the opposite side of the ply 42. More or fewer plies than the number illustrated may be used if desired, the number shown being found to be satisfactory by actual test. The material of which the several plies of the Weatherstrip are formed is preferably paper and the plies may be fastened together by means of stitching as indicated at 49. It is to be understood that the instant invention is not limited to plies formed of paper. Any flexible non-metallic material, whether fibrous in structure or not, may be utilized and in fact, plies formed of flexible metallic material may also be employed. In the interest of cheapness, it is preferred to utilize a relatively strong paper so that the Weatherstrip may be discarded at the end of one trip of the box car,

In order that it may be quickly and effectively applied without the need for modification of or addition to the car side, the Weatherstrip carries an adhesive, preferably in the form of a tape 50 upon one side. The tape is protected by means of a non-adhesive covering 51 which may readily be stripped from the tape 54] when it is desired to apply the Weatherstrip. the adhesive tape 50 and its covering 5!, the ply 36 may be coated with an adhesive which is rendered effective by the application of water. Whatever adhesive is employed, it is arranged upon the strip so that its outer margin is utilized to properly locate the Weatherstrip. For example, referring to the angle member 33 secured to the rear door post 34, the Weatherstrip fastened to this angle member will be so disposed that the outer edge of the adhesive tape will be alined with the outer edge of the angle. In this way proper extension of the Weatherstrip to obtain its intended function is insured.

The Weatherstrip hereinabove described has its several plies symmetrically disposed. By this disposition it is sufficient that the adhesive tape 50 or other adhesive be applied only to one side of the Weatherstrip. While the Weatherstrip illustrated is the preferred form, it will be apparent that the plies 36 to 4| inclusive or 43 to 48 inclusive may be omitted and an effective Weatherstrip obtained. In this event, however, it will be necessary to apply adhesive, whether in tape form or otherwise, to both sides of the Weatherstrip, or to apply the adhesive at the time that the Weatherstrip is secured in position. The Weatherstrip illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing is effective, irrespective of the relationship to the surfaces to which it is applied. This Weatherstrip is illustrated as secured around the door opening where the surfaces to which it is applied are in the form of a rectangle. However, this rectangular relationship of the surfaces does not interfere with the accurate and rapid attachment of the Weatherstrip.

The door illustrated is of the lift type, the lifting mechanism being indicated at 52. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is applicable as well to doors of the straight sliding type.

It is believed that the utility and effectiveness In lieu of i be clear to those skilled in the art.

of the Weatherstrip will be apparent from the foregoing description and the drawing. As the doors move to closed position, the several plies of the Weatherstrip which lie in the path of movement of the door will be engaged by the door and these plies fanned out so as to provide a series of pockets 53 which effectively trap any dust or other foreign matter tending to enter the car. This action of the door upon the plies of the Weatherstrip is more clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in the details of the invention will It is intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes be comprehended within this invention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a railway house car having a door opening and a sliding door, Weatherstripping secured to said car around said door opening, said Weatherstripping comprising a plurality of plies of flexible non-metallic material extending progressively increasing distances beyond said door opening, said door moving substantially at a right angle to said Weatherstripping, said door in closing engaging and spreading apart said plies to provide a plurality of pockets for the purpose set forth.

2. In a structure having a door opening and a sliding door, Weatherstripping secured to said structure, said Weatherstripping comprising a plurality of plies of flexible material arranged face to face extending progressively increasing distances beyond said door opening, said door moving substantially at a right angle to said Weatherstripping, said door in closing engaging and spreading apart said plies to provide a plurality of pockets for the purpose set forth.

3. A Weatherstrip comprising a ply of flexible material and other plies of flexible material on either side of said first mentioned ply, means fastening all of said plies together, said. plies extending beyond said fastening means to permit spreading thereof to provide a plurality of pockets, the extension of said other plies beyond said fastening means decreasing progressively from said first mentioned ply.

4. A Weatherstrip comprising a ply of flexible material and other plies of flexible material on either side of said first mentioned ply, means fastening all of said plies together, said plies extending beyond said fastening means to permit spreading thereof to provide a plurality of pockets, the extension of said other plies beyond said fastening means decreasing progressively from said first mentioned ply, said Weatherstrip having means on only one side thereof for securing the same in position.

5. In a structure having a door opening and a sliding door, Weatherstripping secured to said structure, said Weatherstripping comprising a plurality of plies of flexible material arranged face to face extending progressively increasing distances beyond said door opening, said door in closing engaging said plies of said weatherstripping and separating said plies substantial distances apart to provide a plurality of pockets for the purpose set forth.

. WILFRED A. BEAUCHAMP. 

